Vietnamese teenagers were found in the back of a lorry on Northamptonshire industrial estate, detective says

A detective for Northamptonshire Police has said the force has growing concerns over 13 Vietnamese teenagers who went missing from their homes in the county.

The girls and boys, aged between 14 and 18, illegally came into the country in the back of a lorry and were subsequently housed within Northamptonshire.

Detective Inspective Andy Rogers has worked for Northamptonshire Police for 12 years and has worked in his current role - in the missing persons unit - for nearly two years.

He said the group of three girls and 10 boys came in to the country on June 17 and were located in the back of a lorry on an industrial estate in Corby.

"Police were called to that location and they were brought into police custody at the criminal justice centre in Northampton where part of the process is then, they will be age accessed, and looked at, they were found to be all children and were then put into homes across the county," he said.

"We are very concerned for their safety now. It's been nearly six months since the first one went missing. We have this media appeal now just to bring this story to everyone's attention. It is coming up to Christmas."

The children were put into different homes in Northampton and Corby.

Police have used interpreters to identify "different twangs in their accents," which insinuates that they might be from different areas.

Over a three month period, the 13 teenagers left their accommodation separately in June, July and September and Operation Fresco was launched to locate them.

At this stage, police are unsure whether the missing 13 know each other and why their purpose was for entering the country.

DI Rogers said they are an extremely vulnerable group and could be anywhere in the country by now.

He added: "Anyone who comes off the back off a lorry and can't speak English, in a foreign country - as a child - you just need to put yourself in their position.

"If you end up just in France, what would you feel like with no money and not being able to speak the language?"

Detectives have been working alongside social services, accommodation providers and other forces, in a bid to search for the group.